


How the Light Gets In

by littledoglaughd (rustydog), rustydog



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen, Winter Solstice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-21
Updated: 2008-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-05 06:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rustydog/pseuds/littledoglaughd, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rustydog/pseuds/rustydog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toshiko still has a few tricks up her sleeve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How the Light Gets In

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to the winter solstice fic I wrote last year, [Mid the Tallest Dark](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/50769.html), and uses an alien device introduced in that story, but I think you can read it without reading the first one.

  
  
  
**Entry tags:** |   
[captain jack](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/captain+jack), [fic](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/fic), [gwen](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/gwen), [holidays](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/holidays), [ianto](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/ianto), [solstice](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/solstice), [torchwood](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/torchwood), [toshiko](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/tag/toshiko)  
  
---|---  
  
_**Torchwood fic: How the Light Gets In**_  
**Title:** How the Light Gets In  
**Author:** [](http://rustydog.livejournal.com/profile)[**rustydog**](http://rustydog.livejournal.com/)  
**Characters:** Gwen, Jack, Ianto  
**Rating/spoilers:** Rated PG, set post-2x13 "Exit Wounds"  
**Word count:** ~4900  
**Betas:** [](http://donutsweeper.livejournal.com/profile)[**donutsweeper**](http://donutsweeper.livejournal.com/) and [](http://mad-jaks.livejournal.com/profile)[**mad_jaks**](http://mad-jaks.livejournal.com/), who are speedy and helpful  
**Notes:** This is a sequel to the winter solstice fic I wrote last year, [Mid the Tallest Dark](http://littledoglaughd.livejournal.com/50769.html), and uses an alien device introduced in that story, but I think you can read it without reading the first one.  
**Summary:** Toshiko still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

  
_There is a crack in everything;  
That's how the light gets in._  
~Leonard Cohen

 

It started with the unlikeliest of miracles: a time lock programmed to seal the Hub off from invaders. Who could actually _do_ that but Saint Tosh of Torchwood? And she had.

After that it was a series of little things, reminding them of the ways Tosh was still around.

Once, Ianto had been struggling to sort out some records from Owen's work station, binning some protected but obviously extraneous files, when the screen flickered and went black. As he admitted later, this had caused all sorts of catastrophes to flit through his mind, from a data wipe to alien invasion (again). Then, as if the computer itself were attempting to communicate, letters had begun appearing on the screen:

> A LITTLE BOY WOKE UP THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW WHEN HE HEARD A THUMPING SOUND COMING FROM HIS PARENTS' BEDROOM. FINALLY, ONE MORNING HE WENT TO HIS MUM... 

 

Ianto read on, suspiciously, until the screen instructed him,

> (PRESS ENTER) 

 

He had done as he was told—reasonably, but not one hundred percent, certain he wasn't about to send the Hub systems into meltdown.

He was correct, though the punchline had made him blush and roll his eyes. When prompted, he pressed enter again.

> ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
> 
> _P.S. Owen, relax. I'm not haunting you. I just knew you'd like this joke, so I saved it for a special occasion. And I think deleting the porn from your workstation qualifies as a special occasion.   
> ~Tosh_  
> 

 

Over the next few months, they all got messages and jokes of one sort or another. Then, at 10:00 on the morning of December 21st, an alarm went off in the Hub.

Gwen and Ianto were stringing fairy lights at the time. Ianto had been reluctant to decorate for the holidays, saying it didn't feel right this year, but Jack had insisted that was all the more reason they needed some light in their lives. In the end, as always, Jack had his way; the lights were purchased.

Gwen was on the catwalk, dropping the end of a tangled string down to Ianto to pull straight, when the siren began to sound in repeated blasts. Startled, she dropped the string and began sprinting down the stairs, leaving Ianto with his head and arms arms tangled in lights. Before she had reached the bottom of the stairs, the siren stopped, and so did she. She looked back at Ianto.

"Did the alarm siren just play '_Jingle Bells_'?"

Ianto had managed to open a space in the tangle of lights wide enough to push it down over his arms and hips. He was squirming like a mouse through a hole when Jack appeared in his office door.

"Hey, did everybody hear what I just heard?" Jack glanced at Ianto and added, "Nice! You should wear fairy lights more often."

Ianto dropped the lights to the floor and stepped out out of the tangle, giving Gwen a sarcastic look on his way to the nearest computer, which was at Tosh's old workstation.

"Checking it out now, Jack," he said, tilting the screen up so that he could see it better. "Oh! Looks like we've got another one," he announced when the screen went black and the text began filling it. Gwen looked around his shoulder and smiled wistfully. Ianto read aloud for Jack's benefit.

27 CLIVE STREET  
TAKE DONUTS   
ASK FOR MR. MOFFORD AND REQUEST 'TOSHIKO'S NOTE'   
IMPORTANT

They stood in puzzled silence for a moment. Ianto finally spoke. "Jack?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm curious. How about you?"

"I'll check it out," Gwen offered."Ianto? Want to come and show me the secret source of those fantastic jam filled donuts?"

Jack held up a finger. "Ah, he can write it down for you. I need somebody to finish those lights." He turned to Ianto. "I'll help, we'll be done in a jiffy."

Gwen rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bag and headed for the stairs. "'Jiffy,' that's what you're calling it now? Try not to make too much of a mess!" she called over her shoulder.

*   
The address turned out to be a small grocery, tucked away next to a laundrette a couple of blocks from Tosh's flat. Gwen held the box of donuts in one hand and pushed through the door. Inside, it was a little dark, and there seemed to be a haze in the air. There were two aisles of shelves in the middle of the store and tilted tables around the walls, all made of old wood. Maybe that was what made it feel dark, that and the antique lighting. There were windows high in the wall above the door, and a bar of sunlight was streaming in, falling on a bin of swedes and potatoes in the back. Dust motes were swimming through the light. The place smelled musty, but on top of that were the notes of fresh produce: soil and sweetness.

There didn't seem to be anyone around. Gwen peered around one aisle of shelves toward the back of the store, cleared her throat and called, "Hello?"

From behind the second aisle, in the corner opposite the door, a curly grey head appeared. "Oh, hello my lovely! I'm just restocking the baked beans, they do go so quickly!" The woman stood up and came to the front. She was shorter than Gwen and wearing a green apron that appeared too large for her. When she reached the counter, where Gwen was standing, she clapped her hands together and smiled. "What can I do for you today?"

"I'm Gwen Cooper—I'm looking for a Mr. Mofford?" Gwen held out the donut box. "And I brought these..."

The woman's face fell and her brow furrowed a little. "Oh, my dear, I'm sorry to tell you, we lost Mr. Mofford a few months ago." Her voice lowered and she leaned forward as if she were telling a secret, "In the attacks, you know. Terrible time."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Gwen nodded sympathetically. This had been a common refrain in Cardiff recently. "Are you Mrs. Mofford?"

"Bless you, love, no, I'm Mrs. Wren. Elwin—Mr. Mofford—was my brother. We lived together above the store after my husband died—oh goodness, fifteen years ago." Mrs. Williams shook her head. "It's just me now. But we soldier on, don't we?" She took a breath and looked back up at Gwen with a brave smile.

"I'm going to take a guess and say you know our friend Toshiko!" she said, accepting the donuts Gwen was still holding out.

Gwen smiled back at her. "That's right, how did you know?"

"She brought donuts for Mr. Mofford at least once a month. He had quite the crush on her, you know. Said she was our most beautiful customer. And she said he reminded her of her grandfather. I've missed that girl—I feared the worst, some of our customers just stopped coming after the attacks, and you never know. I don't suppose..."

Gwen shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry."

The woman nodded. "Well, I'm sorry for you, dear, were you a friend?"

Gwen hesitated, then nodded firmly. "A friend, and a co-worker. Actually, that's why I'm here. Toshiko left a message requesting I retrieve something from Mr. Mofford. 'Toshiko's note'?"

Mrs. Wren nodded. "Then I can help you! I thought it was odd, but Elwin would do anything for that girl—" she moved around behind the counter, pulled out a drawer, shuffled around inside, and produced a small blue envelope. "She asked him to hold onto that until someone asked for it and used her name. Here you go. Don't worry, it's still sealed."

Gwen took the envelope. It was scuffed and smudged from contact with other things in the drawer, but on the front was Tosh's name, in her own handwriting. Gwen swallowed hard. "Thank you," she said to Mrs. Wren, "I'm sure this is what I was looking for."

Now she could leave, but she felt awkward. She glanced around at the merchandise, thinking she should probably buy something while she was here. Mrs. Wren evidently felt similarly about letting Gwen leave empty-handed. She reached behind her and began piling individually wrapped brown fruits on the counter.

"We just got some Nashi pears in from Thailand. You take a few, dear. They were Toshiko's favorite."

Gwen tried to protest, but Mrs. Wren insisted. "You just let me do this for her, it'll make me happy." She patted Gwen's hand. Gwen was able to talk her down to three pears, one for each of Tosh's remaining friends and colleagues. As she was leaving, the envelope in a pocket, cradling the bagged fruit in one arm, Mrs. Wren came out from behind the counter and reached up to give Gwen a quick hug. "You take care, dear. Come back if you can!"

Back at her car, Gwen deposited the pears on the driver's seat and, stil standing beside the car, dialed the Hub. She slid a finger under the flap of the blue envelope and pulled out the thin piece of paper inside.

"Jack," she spoke into her mobile, "I've got it. 'Vault eight—look closely. Important,'" she read. "I'm on my way back. Let me know what you find?" When he agreed, she nodded to herself and disconnected the call, then leaned against the car and turned her attention back to Toshiko's note. There was a postscript.

> _P.S. Thanks for checking on Mr. Mofford. He worries about me. _

 

Gwen made a mental note to return and visit Mrs. Wren every month or so. She might even introduce Ianto to her. She had a feeling the old lady would like him.

*

Gwen put the bag of pears down gently on her desk and looked around. The Hub appeared empty; she hadn't heard back from Jack or Ianto since she had relayed the contents of Tosh's note. She headed toward Cold Storage and Vault Eight. She could hear the boys before she turned the corner into the vast room.

"Ow! Shine it upward, not in my eyes."

"I'm sorry, Jack, but when you raise your head like that—"

"There, toward the top. I can feel something in the corner."

When she came in view of the vaults, she saw the door to number Eight was open and Ianto was leaning over, training his torch inside. Jack was lying on his back on the steel tray, his feet and legs outside, and his head out of sight inside the vault.

"Trouble?" Gwen asked, startling Ianto, who hit the top of his head on the edge of the vault.

"I think we found it!" Jack called to her while making scrabbling in the rear of the vault. "It's a very small box, but it's very _stuck_. What kind of tape did she use?"

"Owen was working on a new adhesive that would withstand subzero temperatures," Ianto suggested.

A flathead screwdriver eventually solved their problem. They gathered around the tiny aluminium box Jack retrieved; inside they found insulation material and a simple USB memory stick. Jack looked up at Gwen and Ianto with eyebrows raised. "Now I'm _really_ curious," he said.

Gwen reached out, swiped the memory stick from Jack's hand, and with a laugh took off at a run toward the main area of the Hub. "Beat you to the computer!" she called out as the boys stood for a second in surprise.

Jack overtook her just before she reached the closest workstation. There was a brief period of punishment involving tickling, which ended when Ianto stepped up and cleared his throat rather pointedly. His face was not as reproving, but they did need to get back to business.

There were three files stored on the memory stick. Gwen opened the one titled, "READ ME FIRST."

>   
> _Remember this_?

 

The hyperlink in the word "this" opened an animated image, a rotating 3D diagram of a twenty-five centimeter wide disc, bulging in the center, with alien writing around the edges. Recognizing it immediately, Jack and Gwen both smacked their foreheads with their palms, and Ianto rolled his eyes and let his head fall back.

"Of course!" Jack said. "What's the date... the twentieth?"

Ianto shook his head. "It's the twenty-first." He had moved to a nearby workstation and was tapping keys. "Solstice is at... eleven thirty-eight p.m. on December twenty-first this year."

"We've got to get that thing out of the city _soon_. Before dark."

"Well," Gwen read from the rest of the document, "we have to extract it from the Museum of Cardiff History, run by Susan Bowen."

"I'm not familiar with that one, and I know every museum in Cardiff," Ianto said.

"And how are we going to get it out of a museum, anyway?" Gwen wondered.

"I've always fancied catburgling," Ianto admitted.

Jack grinned. "Or we could just pull rank. And be _very_ charming." He stepped into his office and grabbed his coat. "You both coming?"

 

*  
Ianto stayed at the Hub "to pack." Gwen hoped that didn't mean a long trip. Last year had been a long night, but they were home by morning, and the sunrise had been all the more beautiful for the darkness and cold of the night before, not to mention the memory of the gorgeous light show produced by the device.

They pulled up at the address Tosh had provided for the museum. It didn't look very official: in fact, it was a house. A small, hand-painted wooden sign hung over the door to let them know they were in the right place. The door was not locked, and they let themselves in.

In the entrance, a table set up near the door had obviously been set up as a reception desk, with a tray of brochures, a visitors' book and pen, and a bell, which Jack rang with a flourish. From a room off the entry area came a metallic clang and then the thud and crash of things falling to the floor. A teenaged boy appeared in the doorway, rubbing his head. He looked at them curiously, almost eagerly Gwen thought.

"Are you here for the museum?"

Jack smiled his broadest. "We certainly are!"

Gwen smiled warmly as well. "I'm Gwen Cooper, this is Captain Harkness, and you are...?"

"Anthony." His eyes were fixed on Gwen and his expression had shifted from curious to wistful.

"Well, Anthony," Gwen said gently, trying to bring his attention to the task at hand, "we're looking for a Susan Bowen. Can you help us?"

Anthony shook his head as if clearing it. "That's my mum. She's out to the shops. We don't get many visitors—I can show you around if you like."

Jack stepped over and slapped the boy amiably on the shoulder. "That would be great, Anthony. Now, what do you have here? We're especially interested in strange artefacts."

There were a number of rooms off the entrance area, and Anthony pointed out each one—a replica of a coal miner's family kitchen, a bedroom full of antique medical instruments, what sounded like a shrine to fisherman lost at sea, and the "ancient artefacts" room. They chose to visit that room first.

And there it was. Placed in the middle of a table and surrounded by shards of pottery, a photograph of a standing stone and three rusted spear blades, was the device, looking very... well, alien, with its smoky, glasslike bubble in the center.

Anthony obviously saw their eager gazes. "That thing in the middle," he noted, sounding a bit rehearsed, "the Disc, that's an early divination tool. The writing on it is _really_ old, the Celts used it before the Romans came. But we don't know what it says," he apologized. "Mum's had it to a translator at the university, but they couldn't crack it."

"It's very beautiful," Gwen smiled encouragingly.

Jack pushed up his sleeve and made a show of checking "readings" on his wrist strap device. He nodded at Gwen. "Yep, that's our device."

"_Your_ device?" Anthony looked startled.

"We should tell you now, we're from..." Jack hesitated.

"Environment and Public Protection," Gwen smiled pleasantly.

"Right, and we've been picking up some radiation readings from here. I'm afraid we're going to need to take this with us—"

"_Radiation_?" Now Anthony really was startled. "Are we infected? Wait, my mum will kill me if you take that away, it's her favorite artefact!"

Gwen stepped over to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "If it _is_ dangerous, though, she wouldn't want you around it, would she? We can call her later, if you like. And if it's harmless, we'll have it back to you in—" she shrugged and looked at Jack.

"Two days," he nodded reassuringly.

"Does that sound all right?" Gwen leaned her head toward Anthony's, where she was sure he would be able to smell the apricot shampoo she had used that morning. It didn't hurt to press your advantage, and it was so much easier when people cooperated.

Anthony breathed deeply, then exhaled in what could almost have been a nervous giggle. He nodded. "Fine then. But please call my mum and explain."

Gwen patted his shoulder and smiled. "Better to be safe than sorry. We'll just get a box and take the Disc for tests."

Ianto had thought to send a disposable carrier with them, but Anthony was skeptical when Jack returned with it.

"You're going to put it in _that_? I thought it was dangerous!"

Jack grinned. "Well, we don't know for sure, but just in case, this box is lined with lead. Superman couldn't see through it, and nothing nasty can get out."

"Thank you very much Anthony, we'll be in touch." Gwen shook Anthony's hand, tried not to make contact with his adoring eyes, and followed Jack out. She rolled her eyes behind his back. Lead-lined? Unless she was wrong, Anthony had been looking quite doubtful himself.

*  
If this device behaved like its identical twin from last year, then around dusk, it would begin to cause every manmade, light-emitting device and instrument to go dark. That included streetlights, indoor lighting, transportation instrumentation, and most importantly computers, and the effects would spread throughout the city as the night wore on. Best to remove it from Cardiff and take it where it would cause the least amount of panic: the remotest part of the countryside they could find. Jack drove, and Ianto sat in the passenger seat to navigate since he knew the way without maps. It was easier this time, since they were leaving the city during daylight and didn't have to avoid populated areas.

From the back seat, Gwen watched the row houses give way to detached buildings, then hedgerows and eventually rolling hills, rosy in the light of the setting sun. Last year, Owen had been sitting beside her, nervously balancing the device on his lap because Tosh had told him it was dangerous to let it tip. Gwen smiled at the memory. It had been a calculated untruth; Tosh had just wanted to get Owen's goat. And she had, though she hadn't got away cleanly herself. Because of their contact with the device, both Tosh and Owen had spent the next forty-eight hours literally glowing, bottle-green. It had been quite pretty. This time, the device was in the back of the SUV in its cardboard transport container.

Ianto had been watching the scenery for a while too. Now he glanced back at Gwen then over at Jack. "Why do you think she—"

"The whole treasure hunt?" Gwen supplied.

"It's true," Jack agreed, "she could have used that first message to send us straight to the museum. She _could_ have told us about the device as soon as she located it." He shook his head.

"Oh." The sequence of events clicked into place in Gwen's mind. "I hadn't got a chance to tell you—the first location, the one with the note? It was a little grocery. Tosh was friends with the old man there. I think... she worried about him. Maybe this was her way of getting us to check in with him."

"And she couldn't just leave a note with a civilian telling them where to find the device," Jack nodded.

"Maybe she just wanted a bit of fun, as well," Gwen said thoughtfully.

"Maybe she wanted us to get to know her better," Ianto added. They were all quiet for a few moments.

Gwen rustled around on the seat and found the crumpled brown paper bag she had brought along. "Either of you have a knife handy?" she asked.

Ianto gestured toward the area behind Jack's seat. "The basket on the floor by your feet."

Gwen heaved the basket onto her lap. Inside, snugly arranged so as not to be jostled, were two insulated bottles of hot liquid, a set of silver-plated knives, forks, and spoons, containers of cheese and biscuits, crisply folded linen napkins, and a sharp cheese knife. It would do. Gwen extracted it from the basket and began cutting slices of pear, handing them forward to the boys and eating some herself. They were mild, sweet, perfectly crunchy, and somehow also tasted like they were melting in your mouth. No wonder they were Tosh's favourite.

*  
When they had nearly reached their destination, or as far as they could travel by vehicle anyway, Jack parked the SUV on a hill and they walked down to the nearby village. The sun had set half an hour ago, and Jack figured they could kill some more time in the pub before taking the device on foot further from civilization.

Gwen had had a beer and a half, Ianto a glass of Scotch and soda, and Jack two glasses of water when the lights in the pub flickered and went out. There were already candles lit in little glass tubs on the tables, so none of the patrons panicked, but Jack looked at his wrist strap and swore.

"It's dark. It's happening earlier than I remembered. Ianto, got the time?"

Ianto's watch was analog and not affected. "Five-thirty."

Gwen sighed. "It's a long time to midnight. And it's _cold_ out there, Jack."

"Oh, we can find ways of staying warm," Jack grinned at her. "We'll have another drink and then go."

*

Because Ianto had had more time to prepare, they had more equipment to carry this year, and fewer people to carry it. Ianto gave Gwen a huge blanket, took a folding camp chair and the picnic basket himself, and Jack slung the other two chairs over his shoulder. He started to pick up the box with the device in it, but Gwen stopped him. She cleared her throat and mumbled something as she lifted the device out and arranged it right in her arms.

Jack peered at her suspiciously. "What was that? I couldn't understand you. And hey, you know that thing is going to make you glow, you don't have to hold it in your hands."

Gwen sighed and shook her head. She said more clearly this time, "Rhys is turned on by alien stufff, okay? I think he might enjoy... luminescence." She gripped the device more tightly and turned to go. "You two coming?"

Ianto was polite enough to turn his head away while he snickered, but Jack laughed out loud. "You _have_ to invite Rhys over sometime. Please!"

Gwen had already marched halfway to the first fence they would have to climb. She turned around. "Noooooo. No, Jack Harkness, you keep your intergalactic mitts _off_ my husband!" She would have been gesturing if she had had a free hand.

Jack shrugged and grinned. "I didn't say you couldn't come."

Gwen grunted with frustration and continued walking.

It wasn't easy getting over a series of stone fences in the dark, with their arms full of equipment, but they managed by handing items over and doing some scrambling. Twice they startled sheep when they appeared over the fence. Gwen didn't remember seeing any animals the year before, and Ianto concurred.

"Maybe they heard we were coming!" Jack said brightly, causing Gwen to make a disgusted noise.

"No Welsh jokes!"

"No, I just meant, they'll enjoy the light show too!" Jack defended himself.

"Of course, Jack," Ianto said. Gwen could almost hear him rolling his eyes.

They finally reached a spot Jack judged to be sufficiently distant from other people and shielded from the village by several hills. They set the device down on the ground, unfolded the camp chairs and arranged them as close as possible to one another, near the device. That way the blanket could be spread over all three of them. It was cozy, but Gwen found herself wishing Ianto had also packed firewood. They huddled together, and Ianto passed out tea in small enameled cups from the insulated bottle.

It was still a long wait. Ianto and Gwen convinced Jack to tell travel stories, tall tales like as not, but entertaining just the same. Then Gwen had to tell school stories. They even got Ianto to talk about his father. After that, it was quiet for a while. Gwen wondered what kind of stories Owen would have told. Filthy ones, probably, though she knew there had been a lot more than that underneath. She thought of his face, last year when he realized he had begun to glow from the device, and giggled out loud. The giggle dissolved into tears, which she gulped down, rubbing her nose to conceal them.

Jack leaned over and looked at her face, which must have been shining ever so slightly in the starlight. "Hey. Your face'll freeze if you do that." He put an arm around her and pulled her in close. Ianto produced a white hanky and handed it to her.

"I'm sorry. It's fine," she said to them, and then drew in a startled breath. The device was beginning to move.

They stood together and watched its dance, as it jigged and turned and finally erupted with a beam of yellow light, streaming with sparkling motes. Like a searchlight the beam scanned the sky and finally fixed on a certain star, becoming intensely blue-white and so solid, you could imagine climbing up it through space to reach distant parts of the galaxy. Gwen wondered if the people who lived there had peaceful lives.

She handed the hanky back to Ianto, who looked like needed to use it too. No one said anything. Jack put his arms around both of them and held them close. Eventually, the device shuddered and the beam of light extinguished itself. The sudden darkness pressed on Gwen's heart like a stone.

Unexpectedly, something nudged Gwen from behind and she jumped and let out a shriek, spinning around to see a woolly ewe gazing at them. The ewe opened her mouth and bleated loudly in the silence on the hill. Behind her, a half-grown lamb was nibbling experimentally at one of the camp chairs. Almost before Gwen could register what was happening, Ianto moved toward the lamb, making shooing noises, but halfway there, his feet shot forward and he landed on his bum in the grass, with a thump. He lifted his hand, looked at it, and made a gagging noise: he had slipped in fresh droppings.

It was all visible by the pale green glow of Gwen's face.

Jack was the first one to start laughing, but it was infectious, and by the time he had helped Ianto up, all three of them were laughing so hard it hurt. The sheep trotted away, unaccustomed to such mirth or a human with a face like the moon.

*

Jack gave Gwen a day off to let Rhys nurse her though her "recovery" from the luminescence, promising he and Ianto would return the inert device to Anthony's mother. When Gwen returned to the Hub, Jack showed her the message that had popped up on his computer at a minute after midnight, December 22.

> _Dear Jack,   
> Did you enjoy my treasure hunt? The messages you should have been getting from me were activated by the deletion of my personnel file and released on a date timer. I set this up because I was thinking that the last time you got a surprise from a dead staff member, it wasn't exactly nice, so maybe this will make up for that. I'm sure you could all use something good about now._
> 
> _There are some wonderful things about this job, Jack. We help people. We save the world. And sometimes we get to see pretty lights. Thank you for that._
> 
> _Love,  
> Tosh_

 

Gwen nodded. That was Tosh. "D'you think there will be any more messages?" she asked.

Jack shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't know, I guess there could always be something from her left in there," he nodded at the computer.

After a beat, he put an arm around Gwen and turned her so they were looking out at the Hub. "What I want to know right now is, what do you think of our fairy lights?"

At least a thousand tiny lights hovered above them, twined around the railings of the catwalk and down the stairs. She had to admit, Jack and Ianto had done a good job. They were beautiful. She smiled. Sometimes they got to see pretty lights.


End file.
